diff --git a/internal/runner/uncertain_last_action_test.go b/internal/runner/uncertain_last_action_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f687e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/runner/uncertain_last_action_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+package runner
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver"
+	mockdriver "github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver/mock"
+)
+
+// An apply error is not proof that nothing landed. An RPC deadline that fires
+// after the tap was dispatched leaves the transaction committed, and a runner
+// that reports "no action" for it hands
+// submitCommitsOneTransactionPerAction a rise of one transaction against a
+// window of zero submits: a conviction manufactured out of the runner's own
+// uncertainty, on the property carrying most of the detection on android.
+//
+// The spec below is the real folio predicate pair, imported from the example,
+// so what this asserts is the verdict the shipped property reaches.
+const uncertainApplySpecTemplate = `
+import { actions, always, extract, next, Tap } from "@sanderling/spec";
+import {
+  committedTransactionsExceedSubmits,
+  countSubmitsInWindow,
+} from "%s";
+
+let submits = 0;
+const submitsInWindow = extract("submitsInWindow", state => {
+  const window = countSubmitsInWindow({
+    previousCount: submits,
+    lastAction: state.lastAction,
+    fresh: true,
+  });
+  submits = window.next;
+  return window.reported;
+});
+
+const counts = extract("counts", state => {
+  const text = state.ax.find("id:TxnCount")?.text;
+  return text ? { Travel: parseInt(text, 10) } : null;
+});
+
+globalThis.properties = {
+  submitCommitsOneTransactionPerAction: always(
+    next(() =>
+      !committedTransactionsExceedSubmits({
+        countsBefore: counts.previous ?? null,
+        countsAfter: counts.current,
+        submitsInWindow: submitsInWindow.current,
+      }),
+    ),
+  ),
+};
+globalThis.actions = actions(() => [Tap({ on: "id:TxnSubmit" })]);
+`
+
+const homeWithTxnCount = `{"attributes":{"resource-id":"HomeScreen"},"children":[
+	{"attributes":{"resource-id":"TxnCount","text":"%d"},"children":[]},
+	{"attributes":{"resource-id":"TxnSubmit","bounds":"[40,80,240,160]"},"children":[],"clickable":true,"enabled":true}
+]}`
+
+// dispatchThenFailDriver is the device condition the runner cannot see through:
+// the tap reaches the app and commits, then the call the runner is waiting on
+// times out. Every later hierarchy read shows the committed transactions.
+type dispatchThenFailDriver struct {
+	*mockdriver.Driver
+	commitsPerTap int64
+	committed     atomic.Int64
+}
+
+func (d *dispatchThenFailDriver) Tap(context.Context, int, int) error {
+	return d.dispatchThenFail()
+}
+
+func (d *dispatchThenFailDriver) TapSelector(context.Context, string) error {
+	return d.dispatchThenFail()
+}
+
+func (d *dispatchThenFailDriver) dispatchThenFail() error {
+	d.committed.Add(d.commitsPerTap)
+	return errors.New("rpc error: code = DeadlineExceeded desc = context deadline exceeded")
+}
+
+func (d *dispatchThenFailDriver) Snapshot(context.Context) (string, driver.Image, error) {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(homeWithTxnCount, d.committed.Load()), driver.Image{}, nil
+}
+
+func TestRunner_ApplyErrorAfterDispatchDoesNotConvictTheSubmitCountingProperty(t *testing.T) {
+	predicates, err := filepath.Abs("../../examples/folio/sanderling/predicates.ts")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	spec := fmt.Sprintf(uncertainApplySpecTemplate, predicates)
+
+	run := func(t *testing.T, commitsPerTap int64) []ViolationRecord {
+		t.Helper()
+		state := newHarnessWithSpec(t, spec)
+		device := &dispatchThenFailDriver{Driver: state.mock, commitsPerTap: commitsPerTap}
+
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+		summary, err := Run(ctx, Options{
+			Duration:    time.Hour,
+			IdleTimeout: 20 * time.Millisecond,
+			MaxSteps:    2,
+			Driver:      device,
+			Verifier:    state.verifier,
+			TraceWriter: state.writer,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Run: %v", err)
+		}
+		if summary.Steps != 2 {
+			t.Fatalf("steps = %d, want 2; the run never reached the step that judges the pair", summary.Steps)
+		}
+		if got := device.committed.Load(); got != commitsPerTap*2 {
+			t.Fatalf("the device committed %d transaction(s), want %d; the taps never reached it",
+				got, commitsPerTap*2)
+		}
+		return summary.Violations
+	}
+
+	t.Run("one transaction per tap is not a double submit", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if violations := run(t, 1); len(violations) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("the counting property convicted a healthy app: %v\n"+
+				"one transaction rose against a submit the runner dispatched but "+
+				"could not confirm, and the spec was told no action happened",
+				violations)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// The control. Without it a green above proves nothing: a property that
+	// never sees a comparable pair is silently vacuous and reports the same
+	// empty violation list.
+	t.Run("two transactions per tap still convicts", func(t *testing.T) {
+		violations := run(t, 2)
+		if len(violations) == 0 {
+			t.Fatal("the counting property missed a double submit; the harness never " +
+				"put the property in a position to fire, so the case above proves nothing")
+		}
+		if violations[0].Properties[0] != "submitCommitsOneTransactionPerAction" {
+			t.Errorf("violated %v, want submitCommitsOneTransactionPerAction", violations[0].Properties)
+		}
+	})
+}